Healthy happy life

Health is the most important thing there is.  Those if you who rarely have health issues may take it for granted, but please remember you should always treat your body with care, even when you're feeling fine.  I have been dealing with health issues most of my life and when I'm feeling good I really dislike thinking about what I should be doing to stay healthy.  Sometimes I feel like illness has robbed me of a normal life, so when I feel good I just want to do whatever and not even acknowledge that I will most likely get sick again.  This is not the way to live.  For one thing, I need to change my perception.  Eating healthy foods, exercising, mental stimulation, creative outlet, these are all things that we should be doing not out of fear that we may get sick if we don't, but out of the joy that these things bring to our lives.  I know that especially lately I have become resentful and angry when I get sick, and I am sorry for this and for anyone that has had to deal with me.  I am human and I struggle and sometimes I act in ways that I know are wrong.  I am working on changing my attitude.  I am certainly thankful that I have support from people that love me.  I am thankful for my doctors who are trying to make things better.
I am certainly not saying live your life in fear, because that will not make you happy and happiness leads to health.  Live your life to the fullest, appreciate what you have, and treat your body with care and respect.

"If you don't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?" -Rupaul

Can I get an Amen?
Seriously, I know it can be hard sometimes, but you must love yourself.  One thing that really bothers me is when people alter themselves because they think society wants them to.  Now I am all for experimentation and changing your look, but only if its for your own reasons.  One of the societal pressures I encounter the most is a belief that natural texture is somehow a bad thing.  Especially when it comes to ethnic hair, some seem to think that if it isn't straight it isn't beautiful, and that is just not true!  I LOVE textured hair, I think it is gorgeous.  For those people who have never worn their hair natural I encourage you to try, I believe you can learn a lot about yourself and your perceptions of yourself.  NaturallyCurly.com is a great site for advice on keeping your curls healthy and happy.
Please know that I am in no way putting down people who do things to change their hair texture.  I have colored my hair for coming up to half my life and I'll wear it straight on occasion.  But I do these things because I like to, because it's fun to change up your look and try new things.  Get your hair relaxed!  Or permed!  Or dyed! Or chop it all off!  Do whatever you want, because it's your body to play with.  But do it because you want to, not because you think someone else will like you better because of it.  And of course do it safely!  All chemical services should be done by a professional.  Also, treat yourself with care, this means using good quality products to keep your hair healthy and beautiful.
Most of all, just remember that you are beautiful no matter what.  So have fun, try something new, and love yourself for who you are.

Here's an example of trying something new.  Jasmine typically wears her beautiful hair natural, but for fun I blew it out and turned it into this gorgeous updo.

Celebrities change their hair constantly (and can afford to do so safely), here's a picture of Beyonce looking beautiful with her natural curl.

This is Sydney Tamiia Poitier, from the film Death Proof, this picture doesn't do her hair justice, it is soooo long and gorgeous!

This is my personal hair icon because her texture is very close to mine, Dana Fuchs a la Across the Universe.  I can't wait for my hair to be long again!

Product Reviews

The charcoal idea didn't work out...for me.  It does work for a soft look, but I like my eyes to be more dramatic.  Oh well, experimenting is fun.  So here's some recent makeup purchases: Aveda mineral tinted moisture, Urban Decay Surreal Skin Creamy Concealer, Urban Decay Stardust, and blinc mascara. 
In a previous post I mentioned a mineral powder I was using as foundation and that I needed to get a moisturizer for the winter.  Well, I dropped that foundation and it went flying all over the room in many many pieces.  So instead I bought a moisturizer and foundation in one- Aveda's mineral tinted moisture Inner Light (I use Aspen).  It also has an spf of 15, which you need even if it's not summer!  It goes on really light, so it doesn't have a lot of coverage, but it does work to moisturize and even skin tone.  I needed new concealer so I went to the Urban Decay display because typically that's the first place I go when I need anything makeup related.  I love Urban Decay because they make my life easy by labeling which of their products is vegan.  I got the Surreal Skin Creamy Concealer (in Dream).  I mostly use concealer for under eye darkness and this one offers a lot of coverage and the yellow undertones offset the purple under my eyes (if you use concealer to cover red blemishes you'll want to look for something with a green undertone).  Since my charcoal experience didn't work out I needed a new black shadow (that I use as an eyeliner).  My local Urban Decay was out of the one I've used in the past (Deluxe in Zero) so I decided to try something new and got Stardust in Void, which is black with a lot of shimmer.  I like it a lot and it's fun to have a little sparkle for the holidays.  I also needed a new mascara and I am always trying a new mascara every time because I have yet to find one I absolutely love.  I had heard about blinc on a vegan blog so I thought I'd try it.  Their slogan is "Stop painting your lashes...tube them!"  It creates tubes around your lashes to lengthen and thicken them.  It's water resistant and smudge resistant.  But with hot water and makeup remover it comes off easy, the tubes actually slide off making it look like your eyelashes have all fallen out!  I like it because I don't end up with mascara all down my face when I go to hot yoga. 
Well I think my highlights are done processing so I better go wash them out!

I just ordered some activated charcoal capsules.  I had to order them online because for some reason all the ones in the stores around here had gelatin capsules (eww).  I intend to use it as a black shadow/eyeliner and also as a mascara by adding a little aloe vera gel to it.  I'll let you know how it works out. 

liar liar pants on fire

Ok, I lied, I can't do a tutorial every day.  I'm crazy busy right now and I'm out of old pictures and I just don't have time.  But I am going to try to write in here a lot more.  I need a lot of new makeup soon so look for some reviews coming.

I'm not really sure what this look is.  I was taking pictures of my newly pink hair, yes that is my real hair, and decided to put on some weird makeup.  Want pink hair?  I suggest going to a professional to bleach it out because you can really damage your hair.  Get it as light as your hair will go, then dye it with Manic Panic's Cotton Candy.  Pink hair makes you a sweeter, gentler person.  How can you be mad with cotton candy hair?

First of all let me say, this hair is horrible, I know that, it was from a time when I did my own hair because I was broke, and over processed it and cut it badly, this was way before cosmetology school.  Anyway, the eye look I stole from a MAC ad.  I started with lining my eyes with a dark blue shadow, i use a q-tip and basically stick it in my eye because I like my liner on the inner rim, but I would suggest caution if you attempt this technique.  I then covered the entire above eye area with a medium blue, then highlighted under the eyebrow, in the inner eye and under the eye with a lighter, shimmery blue.  Then the lines were done with black liquid liner then highlighted with white.  Finish with mascara.